ZIMRA TIGHTENS SCREWS ON REVENUE LOOPHOLES

THE Zimbabwe Revenue Authority is working towards removing human contact between its employees and clients through the automation of its services in a bid to curb corruption that is bleeding the economy millions of dollars in lost revenue.

Zimra vice board chairman, Mr Percy Toriro, told delegates attending a two-day clearing agents’ conference in Mutare yesterday that negotiations between the tax man’s workers and clients usually resulted in bribery.

“Our board has a specific direction it is taking,” he said.

“There are things we have done which some of you might agree with or disagree. When this board was appointed we were given three specific mandates by the Ministry of Finance. We were told to curb corruption. There is a strong perception of corruption in Zimra and it is our mandate to ensure that it stops.

“We are aware that it is not going to be easy because corruption is a big cancer that others are also talking about but our commitment as Zimra board is that we will do whatever we can to stop it. The second mandate we were given was to encourage automation.” Mr Toriro said corruption was partly driven by negotiations that occur between employees and clients.

“Part of the driver of corruption in Zimra is the fact that people had to negotiate with someone for the duty you had to pay for your car or obtaining a tax clearance certificate and therefore our thrust is to ensure that there is little human contact. Our main motivation for automation is to limit human interaction which is laden with corruption.”

He said people have to pay their dues on-line without any interference.

“Such transactions can be easily monitored and clients pay the right amounts to Zimra.”

Mr Tariro said the board was committed to exercise its mandate without fear or favour. “In doing so there will be no sacred cows whether within Zimra or outside. If you get to know anything that is unbecoming that threatens our revenue collection capacity you should report to us immediately. I want to appeal to your conscience; if you are born in this country you look at the potholes on our roads because of our failure to fund road maintenance. If you go into our hospitals you look at the state of our hospitals it’s because we are not collecting enough. So let’s work together and remove those hindrances that affect revenue collection.”